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Emmerdale's Leah Bracknell reveals new work project amid her cancer battle

The actress was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in October 2016

Hanna Fillingham
US Managing Editor
February 4, 2019
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Actress Leah Bracknell has given her fans an update on her courageous battle with cancer in a new blog post, revealing that she is writing a book. The former Emmerdale star already has a popular blog, Something Beginning With C, and in her latest post she opened up about her book plans. The 54-year-old wrote: "I tripped over some washing (I know, ridiculous and painful!) and have been forced to slow down, to stop, confined to the static safety of the sofa out of harm's way for a few weeks. Good in the sense that I have no alternative but to get on with writing my book."

leah bracknell emmerdale

Former Emmerdale star Leah Bracknell will be writing a book

In October 2016, Leah was told the devastating news that she had terminal lung cancer after a hospital check-up related to her heart. She was with her partner Jez Hughes at the time, and admitted that the diagnosis has come as a "shock" as she hadn’t smoked for years and was relatively fit for her age. The actress shot to fame as Zoe Tate in Emmerdale, playing the feisty character from 1986 to 2005.

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Leah regularly keeps her fans updated with her cancer treatment, and regularly interacts with them via social media. Last year, she thanked them all for their "good wishes and messages" in a heartfelt Facebook post. She wrote: "I can't get around to thanking you all, but I continued to be so deeply moved and touched by your concern."

Leah Bracknell1

The actress was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2016

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In February 2017, Leah made an appearance on Loose Women, where she revealed that she was refusing to let the cancer get the better of her, and instead was living life to the fullest. "I don't wake up every morning feeling fearful, I wake up feeling grateful and excited about life," she told the panel. Discussing her positive attitude towards her outlook, Leah added: "I feel positive about life… I think a lot of the work I've done in the past as a yoga teacher I have a head start – I have tools I can call upon, and a way of looking at the world that makes me less fearful of it. I've built a relationship with the cancer asking why is it here, what is it trying to tell me? It's about taking back control and working with people to empower yourself."

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